Message:
Greetings in the name of the Lord, after a period of fasting and prayer I am inspired to write a weekly article to help explore the Word of God. I am by no means an expert or even formally educated in Biblical Studies, but what I am is a servant of the Lord with a great hunger for His Word. I have spent many hours reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God and I wish to share what I have found. The Lord has blessed me with many gifts, of these are the gift of insight, wisdom, and the ability to write and share these revelations. I do so for His glory.

If there are any topics that hold a special interest please email which topics you would like to explore. I encourage the reader to use this as a tool to help with your own personal study and to make your own notes. My selfish reason for writing a weekly article is to help ensure I stay engrossed in the Bible on a more regular basis.

Topic: Temptation: Successes and Failures

Temptation is a subject that all Christians are familiar with in their daily walk with Christ. The amount of sermons and studies on this subject could fill a library.

Any Christian when asked to do an honest assessment of their lives could honestly answer that they all have been tempted. They can also answer honestly that there has been temptation faced victoriously and there has been times where they were not so victorious. This is something that all Christians have and will experience in their daily lives as Christians.

I can speak from personal experience of many of my own victories and failures, but this article is not about me. This is to show that temptation is a very common subject for Christians and the Word teaches us about temptation.

Matthew 18:7 (NLT) “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.” This verse tells us that temptation is inevitable while we are in this world for the world tempts people to sin. There are many things in this world that appeal to our sinful nature. Memories of the life we lived before we came into a relationship with Jesus. Our five senses are bombarded daily by the world, so temptation truly is inevitable.

1Corinthians 10:13(NLT) “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Temptation is inevitable and temptations are experienced by everyone. You are not alone, my friends, all face temptation. Though your temptation may seem unique to you, be assured that the Word tells us that they are no different from what others experience. Try this exercise, think about your temptations and see if you can find one unique only to you. After you find your unique temptation look up this verse Hebrews 2:16-18 and think again.

Still think that you are the only one being tempted or think you are easily tempted because you are new in your relationship or that you are young, or even that you don’t have as close a relationship with Christ as you should? I have some Scriptures that can help dissuade that line of thinking. Even those closest to Christ while He walked among us were tempted and fell into temptation. Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38 and Luke 22.40 show that even the apostles were targets for temptation. In these versus Jesus warns Peter (The Rock), James and John (Sons of Thunder) to pray or they would fall into temptation.

Finally, Paul shows that it is not something unique to this day and age. Paul, the one blinded by the Lord so that he may truly see. Paul was the missionary of all missionaries. Paul, the one who wrote most of the New Testament tells us in the following passage that even he faced temptations. Not only did he face them, but won and lost just like you and me.

Romans 7(NLT) “15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

We are all tempted. We all have our moments of victory. We all have our moments of failure. Temptation is in the world and for now we all walk in this world. Temptation goes all the way back to Adam and Eve and continues on into Revelations. The good news is that His grace is sufficient for those times we fail. The final Word for this article is like the message of the Bible. It is a promise of hope in the end. Revelations 3:10 (KJV)” 10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Temptation comes, some times you win, and some times you lose. Take comfort that you are not alone, that you are forgiven, and that you will be victorious in the end. His grace is truly sufficient.

Excellent message of Hope and Victory! We are indeed only aliens walking in a foreign land, but while we are walking here we are subject to all that is in it - good AND bad. Take courage; we do not walk alone for Christ is with us until the end of the age praying to the Father that those given to Him will be kept from the evil one.
John 17:14-17 NAS
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

A verse referenced also in my latest post regarding the snare of the evil one in our Christian lives ... In My Name. Blessings in your walk and ministry of teaching, Christian! Jody